Find it for Free: Four Work Tools That Offer Free Alternatives

The good thing about the Web is that it is extremely competitive. How competitive? So much that you may be able to access many services free of charge. Following are four websites that offer free tools.

First up, Lemon, a free smartphone application that will capture the information on your receipts and categorize it for you. All you have to do is set up an account and take a picture of your receipts. The application will compile the information, put each purchase into an account and create detailed spending charts. You can even email the final report straight to your accountant.

Lemon is available for free download on the iPhone, Android, WindowsPhone, BlackBerry and Symbian.

Next, PayPal, a program that everyone has heard of. And while it’s great for online shopping and not having to give your credit card info to eBay sellers, PayPal can be a great business tool as well. Instead of paying an online service that allows you to send out invoices, you can do it for free via PayPal. You can even use your existing account to create professional, detailed invoices that can either be printed or emailed. So what’s the catch? PayPal charges a fee for incoming money (about 3 percent). That’s fine, however, because they charge you only when you make money.

Another valuable asset is using online storage space. Consider using Dropbox, Google Docs or FreedCamp. Dropbox allows you to share large files – files that are too large for email – securely. Google Docs provides online file sharing, which offers its biggest advantage in that the most recent version is always shown. FreedCamp is a project management site (like BaseCamp) that allows progress to be tracked and conversations to be documented. And because all of these services are online, your files will not be lost or misplaced and will be accessible anywhere.

Finally, access your work computer remotely with Log Me In. This free tool will let you log into your computer from a distance. Perfect for checking a late deadline or fixing a work emergency. You will no longer need to drive to work the weekend or after hours. Check-in from home.

The next time you may be tempted to spend money, hold on. Spend a few minutes upfront and keep your money to yourself.